Wires Break, But They Can Also Mend
by blurrygraylines
Summary: His wires have broken. They've been snapped, burned, splintered. But that's okay. They can always be put together. Just like him. Crossover between Batman, Teen Titans, and possibly Young Justice. Ratings and warnings in chapters.
1. Wires Break, But They Can Also Mend

**AN: 'nother story! Hopefully this one will be my longest yet, I'm hoping for at least 10 chapters.**

 **I don't own anything. Unfortunately :(**

 **Rated K**

Wires Break, But They Can Also Mend

Nine year old Richard "Dick" Grayson smiled as he looked out onto the trapeze. He had been looking forward to this all day. It was finally time to practice his routine with his family. They were the Flying Graysons, the best acrobats across Europe. They were part of Haly's Circus, the circus' only acrobatic act.

"Can we go now, Mami?" Dick asked his mother, Mary Grayson.

'Wait until your father gets here," Mary responded, looking across the circus tent for her husband.

" _Fine_. But he better get here fast!" Dick exclaimed. Dick grinned as he spotted his father hurrying toward them a few minutes later.

"TATI! Up here!" Dick called excitedly. John Grayson climbed up the ladder with a smile. When he reached the top he kissed his wife and gave his son a hug before preparing to jump. In the Flying Graysons they always jumped from oldest to youngest, John, Mary, then Dick.

John jumped, twisting in the air before hooking his legs around the bar with his arms outstretched, waiting to catch Mary. Mary then jumped, doing a flip before grabbing John's arms. John then threw her to another bar before catching Dick after his backflip.

They continued like this for a few more hours, gradually drawing observers from the ground below. From the tent's flap Jack Haly, the circus master, watched the family of acrobats with pride. He could easily say they were his best act, and dreaded a day when the family might leave his circus.

Hours later, when the Graysons retired to their trailer, their son was bouncing around refusing to sleep. Dick insisted that he was too excited to sleep. After all, their first act in America was tomorrow in Gotham.

"But I can't sleep, Tati! Our show in Gotham is just tomorrow! I'm too excited!" Dick protested.

John shared a smile with Mary before proposing his idea.

"Maybe a bedtime story will convince you?" Dick paused for a moment considering the new variable. After a few more moments he decided that a story was worth going to bed. Dick bounded over to his bed and jumped in, pulling the blanket up to his chin. He turned his big blue eyes up to his father expectantly.

John laughed and walked over to sit down on the edge of Dick's bed.

"So you know how we're performing in Gotham tomorrow, right?" John began.

"Of course! It's not like we're in Metropolis!" Dick scoffed.

"All right, all right! Anyway, there's this legend of a man who lives in Gotham. He fights crime in the streets every night. The criminals he cached always say they never saw it coming. They say they see a giant black shadow descending on them, like a human bat-"

"A bat? But that's impossible!" Dick interrupted. John laughed again.

"It's Gotham! Nothing is impossible. And no more interruptions! Let me get on with the story! So, this man-bat thing. They say he's always dressed in black. They never see him until it's too late. These rumors have been going on for a while now. He's been spotted more recently, and the people in Gotham say that this man is in with the police commissioner. The criminals the bat puts in jail are always brought in with injuries, and their clothes look like they've been punctured with sharp objects, maybe like throwing stars or boomerangs. But there's this one villain that's been running around Gotham. The Joker-"

"The Joker? That sounds like some sort of clown or something. Why would any villain call themselves that?" Dick interrupted again.

"I don't know, son. Now let me get back to the story! The Joker is some of Gotham's lowest scum. They say he's insane and he lives in the Arkham Institute for the Criminally Insane. He's caused the bat multiple problems. But the bat guy always seems to win, either by tricky methods, or outsmarting the Joker. When the GCPD get to the scene, the man is always gone leaving the Joker, or any other criminal behind unconscious and bound. They call this man _the Batman_ ,"

John ended the story, saying the last two words ominously. Dick laughed his eyelids drooping from tiredness. John got up and kissed Dick on the forehead.

"Good night, Mami, Tati," Dick said yawning.

"Good night, my little Robin" Mary whispered, also kissing Dick on the forehead.

 **AN: Have I earned a review? Please say I do! And my I do, I mean review! I want at least five reviews, and then I'll post the second chapter.**


	2. Trapeze Act

**AN: New chapter! YAY! I decided not to wait for 5 reviews because I just wanted to post this. Too impatient. But please still review! They make me happy and inspire me to write more.**

 **Rated K+**

Trapeze Act

It was the night of the big show in Gotham. In the circus tent, the performers were rushing around getting everything ready and squeezing in last minute practices. The Flying Graysons were checking the wires on the trapeze to make sure they were perfect. Just like any other show.

Outside the tent, in the shadows, a large man was laughing sinisterly. The man and Mr. Haly were conversing.

"I want the money," the man said threateningly.

"Haly's Circus will not protect criminals," Haly said stiffly. The man looked annoyed, and puffed out his chest.

"If you do not meet my needs, you'll regret it. Give me the money now," he growled. Haly just turned around and headed back to his circus.

"I don't ever want to see you back anywhere near my circus. Please leave," the ringleader called over his shoulder. The man fumed, but as he waited there for a moment, a sinister smile came over his face.

"The old man'll never know what hit him. He'll know now to never mess with Tony Zucco," Zucco gestured to his men and walked away.

0o0

"AND NOW, THE FLYING GRAYSONS! This family of acrobats is so talented, they'll be performing without a net!" Haly called out to the audience.

John, Mary, and Dick waved from where they were on the trapeze platforms. The crowd screamed and cheered wildly from below. The Graysons huddled together for a moment.

"Are you ready?" John asked his son and wife.

"Of course! I'm so excited!" Dick squealed. Mary looked at her son in amusement. She turned to her husband.

"We've all got our parts down?" she asked. Before John could reply, Dick interrupted.

"YES! We've been practicing for weeks! Can we just go already?" Dick said impatiently. The family of acrobats stepped up to the edge of the platform. John leaped of the platform and flipped through the air. He grabbed the bar and hooked his legs over, hanging upside down. Mary jumped after him and grabbed his hands, using them to throw herself to another bar. John grabbed little Dick's hands and propelled him to his mother. Mary caught her son and flipped him to another bar. Dick flipped three more times before landing back on the platform. His parents were going to do a more advanced routine without him. There wasn't a net and he was only nine after all.

As his parents prepared for their part in the act, Dick surveyed the crowd. He saw men and women of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages. One man with white hair stood out in particular. Dick made eye contact with the man for a moment, before turning away. Something about the white-haired man unnerved him.

On the trapeze, John prepared to grab Mary from her flip. He stretched out his hands, taking a moment to admire his wife's beauty. She was smiling as she flew toward him, completely confident that he would catch her.

As she was just about to reach him, the wire snapped. He was suddenly falling through empty air. He let out a cry of surprise, hearing his wife screaming while she was falling above him.

"MARY!" he called desperately.

"JOHN!" she screamed. The last thing John Grayson saw before he hit the ground was the fear in his wife's bright blue eyes.

0o0

The night was going great for Richard Grayson. He was finished with his act, he got to watch his parents perform tonight, and he was promised ice cream after the show was done. He admired his parents fly through the air unrestrained by gravity.

I'm going to be like that he thought. He was going to grow up to be the best acrobat Haly's circus had ever seen. His parents were a great example. He loved to watch them and get an idea of what true trapeze artistry looked like.

Snap. Dick looked up at the top at the trapeze as he heard the peculiar noise. The world slowed down as he saw the wire break. His blue eyes traveled down to his parents as he was them begin to fall. He saw them fall in slow motion, a pit in his stomach starting to grow.

Dick saw the raw fear in their gazes, heard them shout each other's names. They were both halfway down to the ground, yet he felt their fear as strong as if it was him falling. He knew that their last thoughts were about him, their son, how he would live the rest of his life without them.

The little nine year old heard the sickening crack so clearly, it was as if they landed right next to him. He heard screaming and it took him a moment to realize it was coming from his own mouth.

"MAMI! TATI!" Dick screamed as he descended the ladder as fast as possible. He shot across the circus tent's dirt floor to his parents broken bodies. Hands tried to hold him back, but he pushed past them desperately.

Dick sprinted toward his parents, sliding across the floor to get to them.

"Mami! No! Please wake up! Tati! Wake up!" Dick cried. Dick shook them, tears flowing down his face. He felt unknown people near him, saying indistinct words and trying to pull him away. He resisted, refusing to be pulled away from his parent's bodies.

After a little the people around him slowly faded away. He heard a voice saying words and moving behind him but he didn't pay it any attention. Dick felt a warm and welcoming presence. The warm presence stayed next to him, silent but reassuring. Dick leaned into it, sobbing against the man's shoulder.

He looked at the man through his tears. The man looked at him, not smiling, simply being there. Being comforting, almost reassuring Dick that it would be alright.

"Hello Richard. My name is Bruce Wayne,"

 **AN: And Bruce is in the picture. Reviews please?**


	3. Delinquents

**AN: Third chapter! Wheeeee! I decided to change the name of the story because I felt this one fits my story better.**

 **Rated K+**

Delinquents

Bruce Wayne was a nice man. The police came to the circus, and declared Dick's parent's death's an accident. But Dick knew better.

He had seen Tony Zucco threaten Pop Haly. Dick was small, easily able to go unnoticed or hide in small spaces. He hid behind the circus flap and listened to the conversation. He heard all the threats. He knew Zucco had murdered his parents.

But the police wouldn't listen. They insisted it was an accident. Only Mr. Wayne seemed to listen to him. So he told Mr. Wayne everything he knew. Zucco's threats, the trapeze wires, everything he could. Mr. Wayne just listened patiently and never interrupting. He was very understanding.

The cops told him he would be leaving the circus, going into Gotham City. He didn't want to go to Gotham. He wanted to stay with the circus.

The police ushered him into a cop cruiser, away from his parent's bodies. He complied silently and got into the car. The whole ride to Gotham City he contemplated the night's events. His parent's deaths. They were gone. They were gone and never coming back. How could he live without them? He'd never lived without them, he'd never been without them.

He'd also never lived outside the circus, and now he was moving to a whole new city. He'd lived in a traveling circus, mostly based in Europe, living in a fixated place was _very_ different. And he didn't have his parents to help him get used to it.

The car took him to Gotham Boy's Correctional Facility, basically juvie. He was to stay there until someone came along and took him in, or until a spot opened up at the orphanage.

"This will be your quarters until you are told otherwise," the guide lady showed him to a room that looked much like a prison cell. Smelled like it too. It also had other occupants like a prison cell.

There was a bulky, square-headed boy sitting on one of the two beds in the room. He had needle-like brown hair on his head, arms, legs, and in his nostrils. That last one was gross. He didn't say anything when Dick walked, just leered, showing off a row of yellow teeth. The lady turned to Dick.

"I'll leave you to settle with your new roommate. This is Shawn Grant. I trust that you two boys will get along nicely," She left through the cracked door.

Shawn turned to Dick. "And who're you?" he said quite unpleasantly.

"Richard Grayson. But you can call me Dick?" Dick offered. Shawn snorted when he heard the name.

"What kind of name is that? Something your trash mother gave you?" Shawn sneered. Dick jumped a little, not expecting the harsh words.

"M-my mother's not trash! She wa- She's really nice!" Dick protested, slipping on his words.

"Ha. I seriously doubt that. She must have done something wrong, if _you're_ here, gypsy freak," Shawn taunted.

Dick glared at Shawn. He was getting annoyed by this boy. But he tried to talk the other guy down.

"Hey, hey. Maybe we can work this out. I'm not a freak and my mother's not trash, okay?" Dick tried to reason. This only seemed to make Shawn angry.

Shawn lunged at him, throwing a punch to Dick's face. Dick wasn't expecting it and got a fist to the face. He stumbled before falling over onto the ground, clutching his face. Shawn leered down at him before delivering a kick to Dick's stomach. Dick curled into a ball, trying to protect his head and torso.

He stayed curled in the ball for what felt like hours. After a little bit, he heard Shawn leave the room. He started shedding tears, the stress from the past two days catching up with him. He soon drifted into a restless sleep.

0o0

Shawn had been harassing him for days now. There was no end to it, as it seemed. Shawn randomly pinched him or teased him throughout the day. He would be minding his business at the breakfast table, and Shawn would "accidentally" pour his orange juice on Dick's head.

Dick could be trying to play soccer with the other boys in the yard and Shawn would trip him, make him skin his knees. Shawn wouldn't leave him alone.

Shawn was the boss of Gotham Boy's Correctional Facility, and everyone knew it. And everyone knew Shawn didn't like scrawny little Dick Grayson, which meant they didn't like him either.

Dick had zero friends at the facility. He didn't think that was healthy for boys his age, let alone any one. But that might change. Bruce had come to the facility. He said that he would adopt Dick. Dick definitely wanted Bruce to adopt him, he wanted to get out of the facility.

Dick wasn't sure what to think of Bruce now. The man was nice, but Dick had no clue why the older man wanted to take him in. Dick knew that Bruce was an extremely rich man, so he had no idea what the billionaire wanted with him, an orphaned circus acrobat.

Four days after Dick arrived at Gotham Boy's Correctional Facility, Bruce came to his room to talk to him, for the first time.

Dick heard a knock on his door.

"Who is it?" Dick called. He was alone in his room, Shawn was at lunch but Dick wasn't hungry.

"It's Bruce. Can I talk to you?" Dick gave Bruce permission to enter and the dark haired man opened the door and came into the room.

Bruce surveyed the room, his sharp eyes catching the chipped paint and the padlocked windows. He also noticed that the only exit was the one door and that it was an easy ambush target.

"Not much of a room, is it?" Bruce asked. Dick shook his head glumly.

"It's a boys correctional facility after all," Bruce felt a rush of anger at that statement. A little nine year old who just lost his parents should not be stuck in a juvenile delinquents center.

"I'm going to get you out of here, Dick" Bruce put a hand on Dick's shoulder. Dick looked up at Bruce with wide blue eyes.

"You would do that?" Dick asked.

"Of course, Chum. You don't deserve to be here," Dick smiled widely and Bruce smiled back.

 **AN: Eh, not my best ending, but it'll do. Review? Five more reviews?**


	4. Manor

**AN: Fourth chapter. Hope you guys are liking it so far. And I changed a lot of stuff. Now I feel that TT fits better that YJ, since I want Dick to run away at some point.**

 **Rated K**

Manor

Bruce wasn't sure what to think. He didn't like that feeling. Dick was silent the whole time in the car, but Bruce should have been expecting that. The boy _had_ just lost his parents. Bruce knew what that felt like.

Bruce kept his eyes on the road, but broke the silence to speak to Dick.

"Dick. There's someone I want you to meet when we get to the Manor," Bruce said. Dick nodded at him, but quickly turned his eyes downward. Bruce sighed but didn't press harder. The rest of the drive to the Manor was silent.

Bruce pulled his car into a spot in the garage, and greeted Alfred as he got out.

"Hello Master Bruce," Alfred said in his proper British accent. "And I assume this is young Master Richard?"

"Dick is fine," Dick said quietly. If Alfred was surprised at the quietness, he didn't show it.

"Of course. Master Dick, would you prefer to have a snack in the kitchen, or for me to show you to your quarters?" Alfred asked.

Dick turned his sky blue eyes to the butler.

"What are 'quarters'? Dick asked innocently. Alfred's formal expression softened a little at the young boy's words.

"Simply another word for, ah, bedroom as you would say?" Alfred explained. Dick nodded in understanding.

"I am a little hungry, but whatever works best for you," Dick said. Alfred looked a little surprised at that, but shook it off.

"How about we go to the kitchen for a small snack, and then choose your bedroom?" Alfred suggested.

"Okay," Dick said, following Alfred as he headed towards the kitchen. Bruce trailed behind them.

"WOW! This house is huge!" Dick exclaimed. He looked around the huge house with wonder in his eyes. Alfred smiled an amused smile.

"Here reminds me of someone, does he not?" Alfred asked. Bruce smiled at the old english man.

"It does, doesn't it?" Bruce said fondly.

With a cookie in his hand (How were they so good?) Dick walked up the Manor's humongous stairs behind Alfred. The elderly butler turned back to him at the top of the stairs. The walked toward one of the three hallways on the second floor of the four floors in Wayne Manor.

"You may choose whichever room strikes your fancy, Young Master," Alfred said. Dick looked down the long hallway of rooms at his disposal.

Dick walked slowly down the hallway, peeking into the rooms momentarily. Alfred walked behind him, closing the doors as the boy walked past them. Dick walked into a room about a fourth of the way down the hallway.

The walls were situated in a way that reminded him of his family's trailer. The light shined through the window like it would in the circus tent.

"Can I have this room?" Dick asked Alfred, turning to the butler with his big blue eyes hopeful.

"Of course. I will retrieve linens for your bedroom," Alfred turned to exit the room.

"So, chum. You like this room?" Dick started a little, and turned to find Bruce leaning against the door frame. Dick turned to Bruce.

"Yeah. It reminds me of the circus," Dick said wistfully. Bruce walked over to Dick and put his hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"I hope you'll come to like it here," Bruce said.

 **AN: This is really short, but I didn't know what else to put into it. Please review?**


	5. Suspicions

**AN: Fifth chapter! Let's introduce Bats, shall we?**

 **Rated K**

Suspicions

Bruce side kicked a thug squarely in the chest. Turned, elbowed another, and punched another's lights out. He fired his grapple and took to the rooftops, chasing the real threat. Riddler's clues had led him to this location, where the thugs were waiting for him. Bruce was expecting it, Riddler wasn't about to outright give him his location.

From all the clues, he'd already been given, Bruce puzzled out Nygma's true position. He ran across the rooftops to Ace Chemicals, a shutdown chemical plant that no matter how many times it was destroyed, villains still managed to use it.

Bruce reached the plant, pausing to peer into the skylight and see what Nygma was up to. Bruce spotted the riddle spouting man sitting at a chair in front of a wall full of computer consoles. The man typed away furiously, muttering under his breath.

Bruce decided to make his move. He smashed through the skylight, landing in the middle of the room. Nygma jumped and quickly pressed a red button before turning to face Bruce.

"Give it up, Nygma," Bruce growled, deepening his voice a bit to slip into his Batman persona again.

"No, no, no, no! You're not supposed to be here yet!" Nygma whined. Bruce didn't waste any words and jumped at Nygma, punching his squarely in the jaw. Nygma went down to the floor, but not before smiling up at Bruce with blood stained teeth.

"I may be down but there's still another variable! What leaves a sign that it's been there, but never is?" Riddler asked before bursting into laughter.

"A bomb," Bruce growled. _Why do all the villains resort to bombs. All. The. Time?_

Bruce surveyed the abandoned plant, spotting the bomb in a corner. He rushed over to it, crouching next to it. The bomb read _00:32_. Bruce opened the control panel to a mess of wires. There seemed to be no organization whatsoever the wires.

Bruce poked around in the bomb's mess of wires. The timer read _00:18_. Bruce debated cutting the blue or red wire. He went towards the blue, but at the last second switched toward the red one. The clock froze at _00:06_.

Bruce huffed out a breath and turned to Nygma.

"Batman! What gives you the right to spoil my plans? What gives you the right!?" Nygma shouted. Bruce sighed and picked up the Riddler by the front of his suit. Bruce then punched Nygma straight in the face, effectively knocking him out. He then pulled rope out of his utility belt and bound Nygma.

Bruce walked out of the abandoned plant and jumped into the Batmobile. He set the autopilot for the Batcave and laid back in his seat. He removed the cowl with a weary sigh. He had been out all night fighting all of the crazies Gotham had to offer. Now it was time to head home.

0o0

Richard Grayson was suspicious. He'd been at the Manor for two weeks. Bruce was never around. He was always at Wayne Enterprises meetings for days on end, and whenever Dick tried to see him at night, there was no sign of him _or_ Alfred. It was getting weird.

One Tuesday night, Dick decided to watch Bruce and Alfred. Around 10:00, after he was _supposed_ to be in bed, he saw Bruce enter his study. About five minutes later, Alfred followed. In the mornings, Bruce almost never came to breakfast, most of the time it was just Dick and Alfred, or sometimes just Dick.

This continued for as long as Dick watched them. Each night Bruce and Alfred would disappear into the study around 10:00 and 10:30. One night Dick decided to stay up and watch the study all night.

That night he went to bed when Alfred told him to after brushing his teeth and washing his face. He waited under his covers until he heard Bruce and Alfred walk towards the study form the next hallway. Five minutes after they passed, Dick quietly crept out of his bed and over to the door. He tried to open the door as silently as possible, peering both ways down the hallway.

Dick crept into the middle hallway on the second floor, where Bruce's study was at the very end. He walked silently down the hallway, something one of his friends at the circus had taught him, and stopped in front of the study's wooden door.

Dick pressed his ear to the dark oak, listening for any sounds inside the room. When he heard none. He eased the door open, peering around the large room.

There was a huge glass wall to wall window right across from the door with a desk in front of it. On the right there were bookshelves stuffed with huge novels, the left side had a large painting of a dark haired man and woman, with a small dark haired boy between them.

Dick looked closely at the portrait, wondering who the people could have been. Suddenly a hissing noise shot through the air, like an automatic door opening. Dick sprinted over to the dest, huddling under it to hide from whoever had just come into the study.

Dick peeked out over the desk to see it was Alfred who had come into the room. More like _appeared_ , seemingly out of nowhere. Alfred opened the door and walked out of the study.

"No way!" Dick whispered. How had Alfred just appeared in the room? That wasn't possible. There had to be another explanation.

Dick looked around the room again, looking for something he might have missed before. He spotted a marble head on a pedestal under the painting. That should be a good place to look.

Dick inspected the head on the pedestal, seeing that there was a larger seam between the head and pedestal than there should be. Dick pried at the seam, jumping a little when the head swung backwards off the pedestal.

The head stayed attached, but there was a red button on a shiny metal plate under it. Dick stared at the button.

 _Should I? In the movies, pressing a red button always ends up bad. But this isn't a movie. And this is Bruce's house. Pressing a button shouldn't do any harm._ Dick thought. Dick exhaled and pushed his finger down on the button.

A metallic sound hissed through the air. Dick jumped nearly a foot off the ground as a bookshelf retracted into the wall, leaving a doorway behind it. _This must have been how Alfred got in here!_

Dick tiptoed across the room, carefully inspecting the doorway. He peered down the dark space, faintly seeing stairs. He made the split second decision and stepped through the doorway.

Instantly lights came on, revealing a winding set of stairs and shiny metal walls. Dick practically ran down the stairs, eager to see what was at the end.

He came to the end of the stairs, stopping in his tracks in amazement. The end of the stairs revealed an enormous cave, dark, high-tech, filled with bats flying through the air.

 **AN: Well, Bats is now officially part of this story! By the way, I'm a beta, so if anyone wants a beta, I'm available! Review?**


	6. A Bird In The Batcave

**AN: Sixth chappie! Can I please get more reviews? I really like them!**

 **Rated K**

A Bird In The Batcave

 _Woah!_ There was a gigantic cave under his house! Not just any cave, this had to be the Batcave, from his father's stories! The secret lair of the Batman. But what was the Batcave doing under his new house?

Dick surveyed the Cave. It was set up in platforms around the most of the cave. The main platform had a giant computer set up, the computer bigger than any other Dick has ever seen. The keyboard took up a large space on the desk-like think in front of the computer, which was currently covered with papers.

There were many smaller platforms, one which looked like a parking space, another that had cases with batsuits in them, one that had many strange items in glass cases, and one that housed medical supplies. Most of the platforms were makeshift, with metal platforms, but not much else. Most of the cave was unfinished, with much more room to add too. Right now it looked like there was the minimum of what else the cave could be used for.

There was a huge metal door at the back of the cave with a road that led to the parking platform, which presumably held the Batmobile.

Dick crossed the main platform over to the computer and took a seat in the big black chair situated in front of it. He checked his watch for the time, it being around two in the morning. He hadn't realized he was up this late.

Dick started as a screeching car noise filled the cave. His heart sank with dread. How was he going to explain this to Batman? He did intrude into the Bat's cave. Heavy footsteps walked over from the car to the batcomputer. Dick breathed shallowly, hoping to go unnoticed from the big Bat.

Batman swiveled the chair around, revealing the trembling nine year old sitting in it. For the first time in a long while, genuine surprise showed on the Dark Knight's face. He stared at the little black-haired boy sitting in his chair, in his cave. Big blue eyes turned up to the fearsome man, projecting fear and innocence.

"Batman?" Dick squeaked. "I'm really sorry! I-I didn't mean to intrude!"

Bruce sighed. It was only a matter of time before Dick would have found the Cave, being the sharp boy he was. Now the time had come. He reached up towards his head and pulled the cowl down.

Dick gaped up at him. "Bruce? You're Batman?"

"Indeed I am, Chum," Bruce confirmed. He looked away, expecting Dick to be angry or something.

"WOW! I can't believe you're Batman, Bruce. That's pretty cool," Bruce looked back at Dick with surprise.

"Y-you don't mind?" Bruce asked. Dick vigorously shook his head.

"Of course not! You couldn't possibly be cooler!" the boy declared. He sobered down, though.

"If you're Batman, can you help me find Tony Zucco?" Dick asked Bruce seriously. Bruce blinked.

"If you're thinking to go and look for Zucco, the answer is no," Bruce said firmly. Dick's face fell, and he started to protest.

"B-But, I can-" Bruce stopped him with a look. Dick looked away from the man. Bruce put a hand on the young boy's shoulder.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Dick," Bruce said. Dick nodded in understanding, but he didn't like it. Bruce smiled.

"Master Dick?" an accented voice sounded from behind the two, slightly surprised.

"Hi, Alfred. You knew about it too?" Dick asked the elderly butler. Alfred nodded politely.

"How long have you been doing this?" Dick asked Bruce. Bruce thought for a moment.

"I think it's been almost two years now, right Alfred?" Alfred nodded.

"How did you become Batman?" Dick asked. Bruce thought for a moment.

"My parents were murdered when I was eight years old, similar to you. We were coming back home from the theatre, when we were mugged in Crime Alley. A man came up to us, and pointed a gun at my father. He tried to protect me and my mother, but the guy shot him. My father fell, and the gun fired at my mother. The guy ran after that, he didn't want to shoot me, apparently. Custody was handed over to Alfred, my father didn't have any suitable relatives, and my mother didn't want hers to have custody of me. I stayed with Alfred for a few more months, before I decided that I didn't want to stay in Gotham anymore. I didn't want to be constantly reminded of my parent's deaths. So I left. Alfred and I traveled the world together until I was eighteen, after that I struck out on my own, now that I was legally of age. While Alfred and I traveled, I learned all that I could on how to fight. There was one place that I wanted to go to, but Alfred wouldn't let me until I was of age. Once I was eighteen, I traveled to Tibet. To a place called Nanda Parbat, headquarters for the League of Shadows," Bruce explained.

"The League of Shadows? What's that?" Dick asked quietly.

"They're a league of, well, assassins. They're world renowned assassins, some of the best fighters in the world. I trained there for seven years, learning as much as I could to fight.I met Talia al Ghul, the daughter of the Demon. She taught me more, and we had a brief thing going on. I had some experience from before, but the Shadows were far stricter and rougher than I expected. But after my parent's deaths I welcomed the pain. The Shadows are led by Ra's al Ghul, a demon who's lived for 600 years,"

"How could he have lived for 600 years?" Dick questioned.

"He uses regenerative pits called Lazarus Pits, which can heal most injuries and raise the dead," Bruce described. "There I trained, and I eventually impressed them so much, I was given "the honor" of meeting Ra's in person. Turned out he wanted to make me his heir, the heir to the Shadows. That's another story to tell, but I refused, fought him, and won. I left the Shadows. And returned to Gotham. I spent a few months in Gotham, gathering resources and information about what had happened after I left. I took back Wayne Enterprises, using the company to supply some of the things I use as Batman. After that I struck out on the streets, seeking out crime and getting rid of it. Soon, much more criminals kept popping up, with strange abilities and unstable mental conditions. Some being the Joker, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, etc. I've fought them and put them in Arkham Asylum multiple times over the last year and a half. All the way to where we are now," Bruce finished.

Dick listened to the end, soaking up the information like a sponge.

"Now what do we do?" the black-haired boy asked.

"Now we can give you a tour of the Batcave," Bruce said with a smile.

 **AN: I think I've decided the main villain for the story, and a secondary one too. You could try to guess if you want? I've given a hint for the secondary villain, way back in chapter two. It's subtle, but it's there. This is definitely going to be a** _ **long**_ **story, and I've got ideas for more like this one. Thanks to the reviewer who has reviewed my story** _ **three**_ **times, and has been the only reviewer. I won't say their name though, in case they don't like that. Please review?**

 **Next chapter: THE SOCIAL WORKER. UGH, THEY ALWAYS CAUSE SO MANY PROBLEMS. RIGHT?**


	7. The Social Worker

**AN: Numero seven! Hope you guys are enjoying my story! PLEASE REVIEW! I WOULD LIKE MORE OF THEM.**

The Social Worker

Dick Grayson bolted up from his computer at the doorbell. He was researching his parent's murders again after using his developing hacking skills to hack into the GCPD's database. He had quickly taken to computers, watching Bruce hack and figuring out for himself. He saved all his work and shut off the computer, then racing out his bedroom door.

Turns out Alfred had beaten him to the door, opening it to reveal a severe looking woman. An uneasy feeling crawled up Dick's spine at the sight of her.

She was wearing a white pantsuit with a pink shirt, her deep red hair pulled back into a tight bun at the crown of her head. She wore glasses perched on the edge of her nor There was a tiny owl pin on the right side of her chest.

"Hello, Ms…?" Alfred asked.

"Maxime Nore. I'm from Gotham Social Services. I'm here to look into Richard Grayson's case," She said.

"Ah. Please come in. Master Bruce will see you shortly." Alfred responded. Ms. Nore nodded, and stepped into the Manor. Dick tried to get out of her sight, but she saw him before he could.

"And this is Richard, I presume?" Ms. Nore asked. Dick tried to shy away, hide behind Alfred. But, his efforts were in vain when Alfred gently pushed him in front of the woman. He looked back up to the intimidating redhead.

She smiled in a way that was supposed to be kind, but looked more cold and calculating. Dick felt a nervous shiver go up his spine again. The woman stopped smiling and just stared at him, not looking away. The stare was unnerving, she didn't blink at all.

Finally she looked away when Bruce walked into the foyer.

"Ah. Hello. Ms. Nore, yes?" Bruce asked, holding out his hand. Ms. Nore took it and shook it back.

"Please follow me to the sitting room. Alfred will bring us refreshments," Bruce started walking towards the sitting room. Ms. Nore, Alfred, and Dick followed him.

Once in the sitting room, Alfred broke off from the little group, vanishing into the kitchen to prepare refreshments. Bruce sat down in a large armchair around the coffee table, Ms. Nore chose a seat on a couch, Dick settled himself on a chair.

"So, what may I do for you, Ms. Nore?" Bruce asked, sipping the tea Alfred had just brought in.

"I'm here to look into the Grayson case. You have made young Mr. Grayson your legal ward, yes?" Ms. Nore asked. Bruce nodded in confirmation. "Now, how has Mr. Grayson adjusted?"

"He's a very polite boy, and he's been doing good in my home. He's taken to Alfred, they often have tea and cookies together. Alfred's also tested him in his academic skills, and he's doing very good, particularly in math. I plan to enroll him in Gotham Academy this fall," Bruce informed the redheaded lady. "He has been very quiet, and he spends most of his time in his room. He's not very happy, but he just lost his parents. He's acting just like a boy who lost his parents would be. I have noticed he's not been very open, preferring to be secluded,"

Ms. Nore made notes on the notepad she had pulled out when they reached the sitting room. She hummed in agreement at the bit about enrolling in school.

"Richard will be enrolling in the fourth grade, yes?" she asked.

"Yes, Richard will start fourth grade in September, as per his age. He's had education while with the circus, so he should be fine," Bruce said, putting down his mug of tea. Ms. Nore added a couple notes to her pad.

"Has he been eating well? Interacting with other members of the household?" the lady asked.

"He's been eating about the right amount for a boy his age. He didn't eat much when he first came here, but he's gotten better. He could eat more, but that's to be expected. He finishes his plate, but doesn't ask for more. He talks to me sometimes, but mostly to Alfred," Bruce told her.

"Hm, okay. Do you mind if I ask Richard some questions?" Ms. Nore asked. Bruce nodded, looking over to Dick. Ms. Nore turned to Dick, who shrank back into his chair.

"Richard. How are you?" Ms. Nore asked in a way that was supposed to be kind, but was more searching.

"I'm fine," Dick said in a small voice. Ms. Nore looked at him, her green eyes piercing into his blue ones. "Fine? That's all?"

"Yes," Dick said quietly. He was still getting a bad vibe from this woman. He wanted her to leave as soon as possible. She made more notes on her notepad, but asked no more questions.

She turned back to Bruce. "How is he doing after his parent's fall? Quite a tragic accident, I might add. Might have done some serious damage to his young mind," Dick sat up at that.

"My parents were murdered!" Dick protested. "By Tony Zucco!" He knew nobody else but him had seen Zucco threaten Pop Haly. But he still had to make sure Zucco didn't get away with murder. If he had anything to say about it, Zucco would be locked up for the rest of his life for double murder. Ms. Nore gave him a pitying look.

"Richard, I'm truly sorry for your loss," She didn't look particularly sorry. "But it was a very unfortunate accident. They fell. They were not murdered," Dick turned his blue eyes on her in a heated glare.

"Yes, they were! Zucco did something to the wires! He did!" Dick yelled. Ms. Nore drew herself up to her full height.

"Richard, you are in denial. It is a common symptom for traumatized children-" Dick interrupted her.

"I am NOT in denial! You're the one-" This time Bruce interrupted him, gently putting his hand on his ward's shoulder.

"Dick, that's enough. Ms. Nore, I think it might be time for this little session to come to an end for today. Thank you for your time," Bruce said politely. Ms. Nore huffed out an offended breath. She packed up her things and left without another word. Dick and Bruce could distantly hear the slamming of a car door outside, and the start of an engine.

Bruce turned to Dick.

"Look, Dick. I know your parents were murdered, I know. And you want Zucco brought to justice. But, this is a touchy subject at the moment. You're nine years old, and your parents were killed less than three months ago. I'm sorry, but most adults won't listen to a traumatized nine year old. We have to be smart about this," Bruce said gently.

Dick looked up at Bruce with tears in his eyes. He had started sniffling after Ms. Nore had left.

"Hey, Dick. It's going to be alright…" Bruce tried to comfort him. Dick slowly moved closer to Bruce, trying to find security. Bruce nervously brought Dick into his arms, and moved them so he was sitting on the armchair with Dick sitting on his lap. Bruce saw Alfred standing in the doorway with an approving look.

Alfred nodded once before going back to whatever he was doing. Bruce panicked slightly after Alfred left, he had zero experience comforting anyone, let alone a child. Dick started full out sobbing after Bruce brought him closer, his tears wetting Bruce's shirt.

Bruce held him awkwardly in his arms, trying to give what comfort he could. Dick didn't seem to mind the awkwardness, and just kept sobbing. Eventually he started to taper out, the stress from the last few weeks catching up with him.

Bruce was amazed that he hadn't seen Dick break before that day. He seemed like an emotional child, but Bruce hadn't even seen a hint of anger or anguish. Just stony silence. Finally Dick was letting it all out, and Bruce could feel the tension leaving his small body.

Bruce looked down at his small ward, marveling at the young life in his arms. This young life was his responsibility now. There was no backing out, no quitting now. Dick was here to stay, and it was Bruce's job to make sure Dick grew up as happy as he could. To make sure no harm came to him. To protect him. To care for him. To be a father to him. And Bruce would be damned before he ever let anything happen to Dick.

 **AN: Hey… It's been awhile… But I'm back now! Review? Thanks to the** _ **only**_ **person who has reviewed. Add yourself to the list, my duckies!**


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